Outreach

Family Math and Engineering[12] - a bilingual math & science program geared toward Hispanic communities. Classes engage youth and their families and make learning a multi-generational experience

Visitors

More than 6.5 million visitors since opening new facility in 1998

Approximately 400,000 visitors per year

Over 120,000 visitors came from California school groups, of which nearly 60,000 were from Title 1 schools

Budget & Staff

Total annual operating budget - $11 million

129 total employees

More than 350 volunteers

Facilities

Total project cost - $113 million; $49 million from the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose; $32 million raised through The Tech Capital Campaign; $32 million in equipment and services from more than 500 companies

Museum design architect is Ricardo Legorreta of Mexico City. The Steinberg Group of San Jose, CA, served as executive architects

280-seats in The Hackworth IMAX DomeTheater, one of the top 10 attended in the United States. The theater houses a 9,000-square-foot perforated aluminum screen and a 13,000 watt, 6 channel, all digital surround-sound system

45-foot cylindrical art piece, "Origin," designed by Beliz Brother, Brad Goldberg and Joseph McShane, stands in the museum's south atrium

A 16-foot-tall, 12-foot-long audio kinetic sculpture, "Science on a Roll," by George Rhoads stands at the museum's Park Avenue entrance

History

The idea for The Tech Museum of Innovation was little more than a dream back in 1978 when the Junior League of Palo Alto - and later the San Jose Junior League - struck upon a grand plan to create a dynamic learning center devoted to science and technology. Twelve years later, "The Garage" swung open its doors at downtown San Jose's former convention center on San Carlos Street and quickly became a valuable educational resource for children and young adults. Just eight years later, The Tech moved into a bigger, dazzling 132,000-square-foot mango-and-azure-colored domed building, unlike any other in the Silicon Valley or the world. The Tech has become a landmark for visitors seeking a glimpse of the most inventive place on Earth -- Silicon Valley.